Ice Cream Maker Question

[Terrabus]

I'm making ice cream tonight. I love to do it, even though it's -4 outside tonight. I have the ice cream maker on the back porch, where it's not heated. Since it's too cold for salt to work on the ice, I just left it bare. I figured that with an outside temp of -4, why worry? The aluminum can should go below zero, or at least below freezing, and I would have it cold enough to make my ice cream. Cranberry, by the way. With dried cranberries, if you'd like.

So, my science isn't the best. But it's been spinning for 2 hours and still not setting. Why? This does not make sense to me. It's -4 outside, the metal cannister shoud wick away the warmth of the cream. Why is nothing setting?

Anybody have an idea?

[Alice In TX/MO]

Because you didn't salt the ice.

[Sand Flat Bob]

Originally Posted by Terrabus

I'm making ice cream tonight. I love to do it, even though it's -4 outside tonight. I have the ice cream maker on the back porch, where it's not heated. Since it's too cold for salt to work on the ice, I just left it bare. I figured that with an outside temp of -4, why worry? The aluminum can should go below zero, or at least below freezing, and I would have it cold enough to make my ice cream. Cranberry, by the way. With dried cranberries, if you'd like.

So, my science isn't the best. But it's been spinning for 2 hours and still not setting. Why? This does not make sense to me. It's -4 outside, the metal cannister shoud wick away the warmth of the cream. Why is nothing setting?

Anybody have an idea?

I will bet, if you stop stirring it, it will freeze, you are inputing heat energy by stirring it. If you had set the cream out to get very cold before you put it in the freezer, it would probably freeze faster.
I have done this by setting the cream in the deep freeze until it just started to freeze and then put it in the freezer and started stirring, will freeze very rapidly. Doesn't require near as much salt and ice.

Bob

[ace admirer]

Yeah, its a thermal mass thing. u are using air at -4 instead of liquid/ice. the air is trying its best to draw off the heat of the spinning can but it does not have good enough heat transfer to over come the mechanical heat being added by the paddles...as others have pointed out .

[ericjeeper]

But take a 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pour it in to the palm of your hand.. Now take an ice cube and grasp it tightly.. see how long you can hold onto it..BEWARE it will burn you..You have to have extreme cold to overcome the movement of the mixture to make Ice cream.That is why rock salt is always added to the crushed ice.

[agmantoo]

I have an ice cream machine that does not use ice. Used the machine last evening also. The difference as I see it between what you are doing and the machine I have is that the air gap in my machine between the cold and the bucket containing the ice cream mixture is only a few thousandths. Air is not a good conductor and therein lies the problem. The transfer of heat to cold in your setup is not efficient. Given lots of time your setup will make ice cream IMO

[Cabin Fever]

Mechanical energy produces heat energy. In other words, movement, as in water flowing in a stream, produces enough heat energy that the water doesn't freeze. Same with brakes on a car. The mechanical energy of friction created when you step on the brakes is converted to heat energy.

In your case, the air cannot absorb the heat created by the nechanical action of the mixer fast enough to cause the cream to freeze. As some one else said, you need a mediun around the metal can that is more efficient at absorbing and removing heat....like a liquid.

You must have some tough, disciplined kids that will actually sit outside in below zero temps to crank that ice cream maker!

[Terrabus]

Ah-ha! Now it makes sense. No wonder it didn't work. I've made tons of ice cream with this machine. I just figured it would work and it didn't, so I thought I'd ask about the science. Thanks folks!

[Gideon]

We make "snow cream" with every snow(NC). We get a large bowl of snow, add a can of evaporated milk, vanilla flavoring, sugar,and regular milk to a soft consistancy. Just stir it up and yahoo, snow cream.

[praise4him]

LOL!!!

You must have some tough, disciplined kids that will actually sit outside in below zero temps to crank that ice cream maker!

I see a new form of child discipline...ice cream making....
Blessings,
Jennifer

[Alice In TX/MO]

Child ice cream makers in the snow! They will become Green Bay Packers. :baby04:

[Terrabus]

I bought one used at the Salvation Army store for $1.50. It's made by Rival and has a pretty nice motor. I never let it go until the motor stops, which is what the instructions say, because that seems awful hard the motor and gears.

Would salt actually work on ice when it's -4 outside? Or would I have to add water? I have it working outside right now, with ice and salt. I'll check it in a bit to see if it's still turning. I might add some water to get it melting.

I love making ice cream. Any requests?

[agmantoo]

If you love ice cream you need to locate a Whynter SNO ice cream machine. It is a stand alone machine that needs AC and your favorite recipe. The main short coming is that it only makes 2 quarts at a time.